Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-08-04
THE MAD LOVER.
BY G. WALDO BROWNE.


BY G. WALDO BROWNE
"Oh, Allie! forgot to tell you before,
but Lang Mitchell has escaped from his
keepers and is at liberty"
Alice Durand's fair face turned pale at
her friends announcement.
"You do not mean it, Bessie. You are
trying to frighten me-"
aNo; nm rot, Alice. Mad Lang Mitchell
has really escaped from the B-asylum,
/ and as late as noon day he had not been
found. But there, don't look SO white; you
nor have nothing to fear. had forgotten
he was one of your discarded suitors.
Singular, wasn't it, your rejection should
have driven him crazy?"
"Bessie West!" exclaimed the other, re.
proachfully; show can you speak so2 l
gave MIR. Mitchell to understand from the
first that he could not win my favor. Still
he would press his suit, until 1 became
4 engaged to Frank Lane, when positively
refused to see him. He went away utter
4 ing such fearful threats that can never
forget them. You know that insanity is
! hereditary in the family. Lang had
sister in DR.. SIS private asylum when he
n used to visit me, and he appeared at times
to lose his reason. / always feared him,
but never cared for him. feel for him
in his affiiction, but am certainly in no
way to blame. There, mother will be look
ing for me, and I must hasten home.n
u will go with you, Allie"
& "oh, no; you need not. I am not afraid. !"
"But it is awful lonesome through Black
\ Hollow woods, and ;f you should meet
b Lang"
II Nonsense, Bess West; will show YOU
that am not afraid" and with light
laugh she started homeward, leaving her
friend to anxiously watch her departure.
y Allie was somewhat startled to find that
the sun had set, and that night was fast
creeping on. But rather than to be laughed
at after boasting of her courage, she re-
solved not to turn back.
The truth was, Bessie's careless speech
y had wounded her feelings sorely. and as she
walked along her mind became engrossed
with unpleasant thoughts Of Lang Mitchell,
/ The escaped lnnatio.
+ His misfortune was certainly not charge
Z able to her, through she could not help
wishing that different fate might have
d been his.
Filled with these conflicting meditetions
she hardly realized her progress until
reaching Black Hollow, one of the most
gloomy spots to be found in that vicinity.
Under the somber woods it was already
quite dark.
\ She quickened her steps as she came
u within the shadows of the oyerhanging for
i est that lined the road on either hand.
She had not advanced far, however,
4 when the sound of footsteps fell upon her
& ears!
Glancing wildly over her shoulder she
saw to her terror that some one was follow
lug her.
With second glance she saw thas her
worst fears were realized.
II acds mad Lang MITCHELL Fl
Seeming to divine her discovery, he gave
utterance to shrill, maniacal laugh, which
4 made her blood curdle and heart fairly
cease its beating.
Her first thought was to cry for help; but
in that lonely place she could not hope for
an answer to her appeal.
With wild, agonizing scream she fed
for life.
His frantic cries making the evening air
hideous, the mndman rushed in pursuit.
Terror seemed to lend wings and strength
to the fleeing girl, who sped on like q
hunted fawn, expecting to be overtaken at
every bound of her wild pursuer.
But he proved o clumsy runner, and at
first she outdistanced him. Her hopes be-
gan to rise MS she began to feel that it was
[ possible for her to escape him.
His superior strength, however, soon be-
gan to count in his favor. She began to
lose ground!
His cries grew more frequent and terrible.
She had passed the darker portion of the
way and was nearing the edge Of the for
est; but her home was still half mile
away, and it was the first house on the
road!
Perhaps We should except one old
dwelling that stood close to the woods,
which had not been occupied for years,
and the walls of which were fast yielding
to the inronds of time.
As the hunted maiden came in sight of
the deserted building she resolved as her
ulteTuatlfe 10 seek ltb SnelteT.
There was no turn in the road for a
quarter of a mile, and as clearly as she
could see in the gathering shadows OF
night no ono was in sight-neither team
nor foot t-traveler!
What better could she do than seek the
ruined house? Aye, could she hope to
reach that?
AS she bounded across the erass-grown
yard she felt the outstretched hand of her
pursuer touch her flying hair! Bitut
slipped through his grasp, and with an
agonizing cry she reached the steps, his
hot breath tanning her cheek.
She barely reached the hall to close the
door, which had stood ajar for years, us
his foot gained the threshold.
Her almost superhuman effort hurled
the dilapidated door from its rust eaten
hinges, when it fell at the feet Of her pur-
sner a shattered wreck.
portion of it's frame struck the mad
man upon tho side of the head, for the
time stunning him.
She was given opportunity to cross an
adjoining apartment before he recovered
sufficiently to follow.
AS she passed swiftly over the floor she
felt it tremble beneath her weight, but she
safely reached the next room. which was
smaller and from which she saw at a
glance there was no place of exit save
from the door through which she had en-
tsredI